It is August which only means one thing – it is Camden Fringe time! Over the next few weeks we are chatting to acts that are performing at the festival and finding all about their show and what they would call this years iconic Camden Fringe Pigeon! Today we speak to Michele Sheldon about the show  Fleecehold

Date: 11th – 13th August
Time: 18:30 / 18:15
Price: £15 Concession: £10
Location: Little Angel Theatre
Ticket Link:  https://camdenfringe.com/events/fleecehold/

Hello! Tell us about yourself ?

I’m a very disgruntled leaseholder who happens to be a writer.

How did you come up with the name of your show that your taking to the Camden fringe?

Very easily as leasehold is a form of fleecing people under the guise of property ‘ownership’.

Tell us a little bit about your style of show?

It’s a dark political comedy with a big dose of panto thrown in so we want to hear lots of booing and hissing at the villains. After Saturday’s performance there will be a Q&A with the founders of the National Leasehold Campaign.

What will your set be about?

The play follows the true story of three incredible working mums who were mis-sold their homes in the North-West of England, set up the National Leasehold Campaign and took on powerful developers and freeholders to reform leasehold.

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at the fringe?

Too many to mention!

Have you done the fringe before? What have been some of your favourite shows to date and why?

No, this is the first time. I wanted to bring the play to London as so many flats are leasehold. 

What advice would you give to others who want to perform at Camden Fringe next year?

Start early and make it happen.

What is the best thing about performing at the Camden fringe?

The diverse audiences.

London can be an expensive place to perform in – what key advice would you give to performers that is a sort of life hack?

People are mostly generous with their time so ask for favours where you can. Don’t be scared to ask!

What are your three favourite things about Camden?

Long-suffering pigeons, all the great venues and green spaces like Primrose Hill and Regents Park.

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

Anyone thinking of buying a leasehold flat AND the entire Cabinet of the Tory Government so they fully understand what a rip off leasehold is and why it is devastating to many people trapped because of cladding or a short lease or ridiculous permission fees and service charges and to introduce commonhold. Failing that, just Rishi Sunak who pushed back on Michael Gove’s promise to radically reform leasehold. I would hope he would hang his head in shame for his U-turn that’s devastated millions of leaseholders who have been promised reform since 2020.

The iconic image of the Camden Fringe is the Pigeon – if you could call this years pigeon a name to represent its style what would it be and why?

Percival, a very knowledgeable leasehold ghost pigeon reformer from the 19th century and confidante of Charles Dickens’ raven Grip, who has come back from the dead to shit on the heads of those who oppose reform. Pigeons know all about the rip off of leasehold because their homes are subject to the ridiculous sub-letting laws of freeholders and permission fees to build new nests or extend existing ones. Not many people know that.

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

On Twitter @Fleeceholdtheplay Instagram @shelshelshedon

And Finally in three words – Why should people come and see the show? 

Eye-opening, jaw-dropping and (sadly) funny.